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What time do you lock your front door at night?

171 replies

OneUmberJoker · 08/09/2025 21:45

About 9.30pm about an hour before bed

OP posts:
tuvamoodyson · 09/09/2025 11:16

Chickoletta · 08/09/2025 21:47

When we go to bed. I’ve never really understood why people lock themselves into their homes, but then, I’ve never lived anywhere which made this feel necessary, I guess.

I don’t live anywhere where that is necessary either, however we just automatically lock the door behind us 🤷🏼‍♀️

Zov · 09/09/2025 11:17

Beekman · 09/09/2025 02:20

We live in a large, busy city so our door is always locked, in fact it locks automatically when we close it. It’s not inherently unsafe in this area but it is a city with a huge population so you just don’t know. Our living room is up some stairs and even though we have cameras, we wouldn’t actually hear if anyone came in.

My dad lives in a really safe village in the UK but he locks his door all the time as his living room and bedroom are at the back of his house. You do hear occasional stories of thieves opening doors to steal car keys as there are a lot of luxury cars round there.

I genuinely don’t know why anyone leaves their front doors open. What’s the benefit?

I feel the same. I am genuinely baffled that so many people on here leave their door unlocked. Several of my neighbours (rural village) used to do this. Door unlocked at night, whilst children and adults slept, and also unlocked when they went out. They even left the car doors unlocked.

There was an incident where someone staying with a family down the road - a mate of the adult son who he had met recently who had nowhere to go as his parents had kicked him out, (aged late 20s.) One night a woman was sitting in her living room with her 6 y.o. daughter, and this young man just let himself in, and stole her car keys off the little table in the hall, and drove off with her car. (He was picked up on the ring doorbell.) He went on to crash her car. Wrecked it. He was OK. When he was picked up by police, it turned out he had several offences against him for assault against a woman, and petty thefts, and attacking a policeman. That young woman was very lucky he just stole her car.

She has never left the door unlocked since. When she is in, OR out. Everyone around the village made sure they kept their doors locked too after that!!!

Some people on here seem to think it's odd to lock your doors, and seem almost proud that they don't - and claim they don't NEED to. Don't think you don't need to because you live in a 'nice' area. 'Nice' areas are targetted because criminals know there is likely to be some wealth there!

And no, it's NOT a myth about the insurance. They very often will not pay out if you have left doors and windows unlocked/open. The woman in question I spoke about did not get the insurance payout for her car, as she had left her front door unlocked, and the thief obtained the car keys because of this. She had to find money for another car, and could only afford one that was 15-16 years old. (Cost her £1200.) Her other one was 6 years old and she had paid £5500 for it just a year earlier. So she made a huge loss there, because the insurance would not pay up.

Zov · 09/09/2025 11:20

Chickoletta · 08/09/2025 21:47

When we go to bed. I’ve never really understood why people lock themselves into their homes, but then, I’ve never lived anywhere which made this feel necessary, I guess.

Oh you sweet summer child. Wink

Purplecatshopaholic · 09/09/2025 11:21

My door is always locked right away. My friend had her car and handbag stolen when a bloke tried the door, and just walked in. Took her bag and keys off the hall table and drove off in her car. She was upstairs. FWIW she lives in a nice area too, guy was presumably just going round trying doors and chancing his luck.

dogcatkitten · 09/09/2025 11:21

After dinner when I sit down for the evening, assuming I'm not expecting a delivery or anyone to arrive.

Icanttakethisanymore · 09/09/2025 11:23

When I go to bed.

GonnaeNoDaeThatJustGonnaeNo · 09/09/2025 11:56

Why are people ‘baffled’ that others live differently, make different choices, have different experiences?

RampantIvy · 09/09/2025 12:01

Chickoletta · 08/09/2025 21:47

When we go to bed. I’ve never really understood why people lock themselves into their homes, but then, I’ve never lived anywhere which made this feel necessary, I guess.

You must live somewhere where there is a zero crime rate then.

We lock the front door after us. It is unthinkable not to.

We live in an area with a relatively low crime rate, but an unlocked door would invalidate an insurance claim should the worst happen.

Hgddffdfhgffgd · 09/09/2025 12:01

My door is always locked unless we are stepping out of it or coming back in.
I can’t stand people just walking in. Also only the people who live here have a key.

TheZenOne22 · 09/09/2025 12:07

I tend to lock my front door when I come in as otherwise I’d forget but lock my back door when I go to bed (because I use that door more often). There have been many a time I’ve gone out of the back door and left the front open - which is why I lock as soon I come in now.

My parents used to lock the door when they went to bed but changed it to when I went to bed as when I was younger I apparently went sleepwalking out of the front door!

TheZenOne22 · 09/09/2025 12:14

This has just reminded me when I went to visit a friend who lives on an island in Greece. She kept her car keys in the ignition and her front door keys on the outside of the front door (to show others that they were home as they lived down a hill) - I was baffled and bemused by both of these :)

Chipsahoy · 09/09/2025 12:14

I live in the middle of nowhere, you can (and I have before) leave keys in ignition overnight and car would be safe. However, we do lock up for the night just before we go to bed. When my dh is away I lock myself in the house all of the time though, it’s perfectly safe here but I haven’t always been safe, so it makes me feel better.

FancyCatSlave · 09/09/2025 12:16

Front door is never used so always locked. Back door locked at bedtime. We live in a rural village though down the bottom of a dead end lane so no passing people.

RaraRachael · 09/09/2025 12:16

When I was young doors were only locked when we went to bed and it was common to see cars with keys left in the ignition. But back then you knew everybody.
Same town now but it's a very different story.

RedRec · 09/09/2025 12:17

The last person who comes home does it. So it could be any time, afternoon onwards. I still check it at bedtime though, about 11pm.

Lavender14 · 09/09/2025 12:17

Really?!

The second I walk through it! We live in a safe area but a)I have a toddler who I wouldn't want to sneak out onto the road and b) it's much harder to get someone out of your home once they're in it, than it is to prevent them getting in in the first place. I would never leave it unlocked unless I'm out in the garden.

KoalaBlue1 · 09/09/2025 12:20

All the time. Not safe here, Melb, Aus.
Youths come into homes. Find the car keys, and steal the car.

Throwingitallaway24 · 09/09/2025 12:22

Door is pretty much always locked we live on a nice street but close to some dodgy ones and often see in our area ring snapshots of people trying to get into cars and houses. However in the event we haven't locked ourselves inside it gets locked as we are turning everything off and going to bed so usually around half 9/10

Zodiacrobat · 09/09/2025 12:40

Always locked as soon as I come in. I now live somewhere rural and very safe, but it’s a long term habit from having lived in big cities. I don’t see the need to take any risks when you could just lock it.

HappyAsASandboy · 09/09/2025 12:42

Our door is locked all the time, unless someone has popped out to the bin/garage/garden and puts the “stay unlocked” bit on.

It seems strange to be to deliberately leave it unlocked when the default setting on the nightlatch lock is “locked”.

Taztoy · 09/09/2025 12:45

Lick as soon as I come through it.

was attacked by someone who kicked a wooden door in and strangled and raped me.

so I lock it every time.

RampantIvy · 09/09/2025 12:45

KoalaBlue1 · 09/09/2025 12:20

All the time. Not safe here, Melb, Aus.
Youths come into homes. Find the car keys, and steal the car.

This is the main crime where I live as well.

chunkybear · 09/09/2025 12:48

Front door always locks, back doors, we try to keep them locked but my DH is useless at
checking, ADHD and distracted by everything! We’ve been known to get up and the back doors are hit only unlocked but open! …. Albeit now we have a dog that woofs, he’s a bit better at checking and she (doggo) reminds him lol 😂… DD17 is also on-board for house lock up as she goes to bed later than me, and often DH lol so is often checking (ASD so particular!) and far more reliable than the men in our house

Digdongdoo · 09/09/2025 12:50

It's always locked. It can't be opened from outside without a key anyway, and I lock so small kids can't escape. I can't imagine why I want an unlocked front door.

Sdpbody · 09/09/2025 13:27

When the last cat comes in! If we are both home, and both cats are home, then it could be 8pm. Last night, I didn't get back until 10:30pm and thats when it was locked.